Oct 7, 2022
My Chemical Romance at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California — 5 October 2022
Purchasing tickets for my sibling a year in advance as a birthday gift, our party trio — consisting of my sibling, cousin and I — boarded the Berryessa BART from Richmond Station → Coliseum Station. Upon arriving, the concert was finalizing the opening set from Brooklyn, New York punk rock band Surfbort. Playing from 7:30 P.M. → ~8:00 P.M., the group’s set (sourced from The Setlist Wiki) consisted of six songs: “Pretty Little Fucker” (2018), “Dicks In Space” (2021), “Les Be in Love” (2018), “White Claw Enema Bong Hit” (2021), “Big Star” (2021), “FML” (2021).
My Chemical Romance’s portion, however, began @ 9:20 P.M. with cascading static feedback of tinnitus ambient noise (compliment). Following the bassed, crackle-sizzled seance — an extended introduction to their latest single — the band delved into the narratived, self-reflective The Foundations of Decay (2022); following the six-minute epic was the 2010 charter: “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)”. Gerard Way was immensely drunk, guggling a liter bottle of clear liquor in between songs during the first-third of the Oakland Arena setlist. His voice remains amazing, though, in the ability to match the studio-recorded notes of their 2002 album: I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love; awestruckly displayed when belting out the album’s leading single of Vampires Will Never Hurt You (2002).
At the concert’s end, My Chemical Romance demonstrated their ability to unify cross-generational attendees under emo-punk anthems. Crowd clumps jolted up to their mid-Noughties singles of “Welcome to the Black Parade” (peaking @ no.9 on the January 2007 Billboard Hot 100), “Helena (So Long & Goodnight)” (peaking @ no.33 on the September 2005 Billboard Hot 100), “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” (peaking @ no.86 on the January 2005 Billboard Hot 100), and “The Kids from Yesterday” (an anthemic deep-cut from the band’s 2010 album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys). The concert ended with another static-feedback ambient instrumental for an outro, harkening to the introduction before beginning “The Foundations of Decay” (2022).
My Chemical Romance remains culturally relevant across age groups — predominantly the Millenial Generation & Generation Z. Reeking with the sweat of dedication to their craft, the band remains a badge of the punk & mainstream rock scenes. Recently, the band scored a Billboard-charting comeback single; The Foundations of Decay (2022) peaked @ no.7 on the U.S. Hot Rock & Alternative Songs & no.132 on the Billboard Global 200. Roaring into reentry, hope for new music remains, given the new “static feedback” tone of M.C.R.’s aforementioned post-reunion single.
Concert Setlist (Sourced from The Setlist Wiki):
- “The Foundations of Decay” (2022)
- “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” (2010)
- “Give ’Em Hell, Kid” (2004)
- “Skylines and Turnstiles” (2002)
- “The World Is Ugly” (2013)
- “Thank You for the Venom” (2004)
- “It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish” (2004)
- “Planetary (GO!)” (2010)
- Boy Division” (2013)
- “Welcome to the Black Parade” (2006)
- “Teenagers” (2006)
- “Cemetary Drive” (2004)
- “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” (2002)
- “S./C./A./R./E./C./R./O./W.” (2010)
- “Mama” (2006)
- “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” (2006)
- “Famous Last Words” (2004)
- “Sleep” (2006"
- “Helena” (2004)
- “Happy Birthday to You” (event special dedicated to a band-hired bodyguard)
- “The Kids From Yesterday” (2010)
